is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law as designated by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. With an undergraduate degree in Economics and Fine Arts from Vanderbilt University, he attended the University of Southern California, graduating with both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Business Taxation in 2001. Mike was employed by Deloitte and Touche before joining a mid-sized Napa law firm, where he worked for 12 years. At his former firm, he became a member of the Board of Directors and the head of the Trust Administration Department. Mike currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation.

Mike’s interest in estate planning stems from his experiences with family and friends who have gone through the process of losing a loved one. With good planning before death and proper advice after death, much of the stress of surviving family members can be alleviated. His down to earth approach combined with his experience and expertise in the estate planning, trust administration, probate, and estate tax areas allow him to help his clients understand and navigate the process.

Mike helps clients from all walks of life: from people in need of basic Wills, Revocable Trusts, Powers of Attorney for Finance, and Advance Health Care Directives to people who already have a basic estate plan in place and are in the need of more advanced estate planning techniques such as Dynasty Trusts, Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (“IDGTs”), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (“GRATs”), and Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (“QPRTs”) to people who have recently lost a family member and are in need of help administering an estate.

Over the years, Mike has given various presentations on the subjects of estate planning and trust administration to various businesses and Civic Groups. In addition, he has spent considerable time preparing materials for and giving presentations for the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) on subjects such as Postmortem Trust Administration, High End Estate Planning, and Estate Planning Acronyms.

While not in the office, Mike enjoys spending time with his family. On the very rare occasions when he does have free time, he loves to do anything outdoors where he enjoys running, hiking, biking, playing soccer and volleyball, and has been known to brew his own beer on occasion.